Library of Formatting Examples:Index/10A

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/*

Arsha rite, i, 198, 220.

Arunta: sexual customs of, i, 50 n. 2, 75, 76 and n. 3, 170, note.

Aryans, the early:
  two stages in rise of juridical conceptions of, i, 24-26;
  house-*hold among, 26, 27;
  housewife, 27 n. 2;
  whether paternal or maternal system, 18-27.
  (<i>See</i> India, Hindus.)
*/

Identifying entries and sub-entries

This index was printed differently from most others: in the second entry, 'Arunta' is followed by a colon instead of the usual comma; and in the third entry, the main entry has no page numbers, just a colon. When a colon is used, the sub-entries normally begin on their own lines, so we must decide where to put these first sub-entries.

If the Project Comments or Discussion don't address this, it's best to ASK (as always). If no answer is given, use the procedure below and explain in the Project Discussion what you've done, so others either will do it the same way or explain why they think it should be done differently. Our objective is to format in a consistent way that also is consistent with the Guidelines.

In most indexes, the colon after 'Arunta' in the second entry would be a comma (to make 'Arunta' alphabetize where people expect to find it), so 'sexual customs of' is not a sub-entry, but just part of the main entry, all of which belongs on one line, as shown above.

The colon in the third entry definitely precedes a list of sub-entries. The Guidlines tell us to start each one on a new line, preceded by two spaces, as shown above. However, when this index was formatted, everyone placed such first sub-entries (e.g., 'two stages in rise of...') on the same line as the main entry, probably because it "matched the scan" and just seemed to be the natural way to do it. And that's why ASKING and DISCUSSING things is so important.

Here's a summary of a way to identify and position sub-entries:

1. If all sub-entries already are printed on lines of their own, leave them that way, regardless of what punctuation follows the main entry.
2. If the main entry doesn't have its own page list and there's just one thing that looks like a sub-entry, "match the scan": keep it on its original line, indented if it's on a line of its own.
3. If the main entry has its own list of pages, or there are multiple sub-entries, position each sub-entry, including the first, on its own line, indented by 2 spaces.
4. Second-level sub-entries should be indented by 4 spaces; higher levels (very rare) by 6, 8, etc. spaces.